Saturday, May 07, 2016

Interdiction on the high seas, a PLAN training exercise at South China Sea

The
photo taken on May 5, 2016 shows two rigid-hull inflatable boats
carrying special troops from the guided-missile destroyer Hefei (back)
approach the suspicious merchant ship simulated by the guided-missile
frigate Shaoguan (front) during a special situation management drill
held by an ocean-going training taskforce of the PLA Navy's Nanhai Fleet
at a water near the Xisha Islands in the South China Sea.

BEIJING,
May 6 (ChinaMil) -- The ocean-going training taskforce with the Nanhai
Fleet of the PLA Navy carried out a series of exercises on special
situation handling in Xisha waters on May 5.

According to the
scenario of the drill, the guided-missile frigate Shaoguan (Hull Number
553), playing the role of a merchant ship with unknown nationality, was
implementing close-in reconnaissance of Chinese territorial waters,
while, the guided-missile destroyer Hefei (Hull Number 174), that was on
patrol in that sea area, spotted the suspicious merchant ship through
radar detection equipment and took immediate measures.

The guided-missile frigate Shaoguan is on patrol duty in Xisha waters at present.

During
the exercise, the destroyer Hefei approached the target at high speed
and the ship-borne helicopter took off for verification.

"This is
Chinese PLA Navy ship 174. You will enter Chinese territorial waters
soon. Please turn around and leave immediately to avoid misjudgment."But
the suspicious merchant ship paid no attention and continued to sail
on.

Since oral warning was ineffective, destroyer Hefei launched
three red signal flares to further warn the unidentified ship, which
still took no effect. Therefore, destroyer Hefei resolutely fired the
main and secondary artilleries to conduct simulated interception and
demanded the merchant ship to stop for inspection.

The suspicious
merchant ship was forced to stop, at the same time, a group of special
operations troops on a rigid-hull inflatable boat approached the ship.
After boarding the ship, they quickly controlled the sailors and
searched the ship. Soon they found some contraband goods and took over
the merchant ship according to law and put on guard.

According to
Long Juan, chief of staff of the ocean-going training taskforce, means
of sea area management and control includes tracking and monitoring,
warning and expulsion, boarding inspection and seizure and so forth.
They are aimed to expel, warn and detain foreign ships that violate
China's maritime rights and interests.

Long emphasized that this
is not only a common practice of navies of all countries, but also a
necessary means to properly exert the rights endowed by international
laws on warships to protect China's maritime rights and interests and
maintain the international maritime order.